Street letter-box



(N0 Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. N. W. PALMER.

STREET LETTER BOX.

No. 458,064. Patented Aug. 18, 1891.

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Patented Aug. 18, 1891.

an: c'o., Wain-Una, \vAsmn UNITED STATES PATENT OE IcE.

NORMAN W. PALMER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO.

EUGENE P. PALMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STREET LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,064, dated August 18, 1891.

Application filed December 29, 1890. Serial No. 376,055- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN W. PALMER, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in letter-boxes, the object being to provide a device of this character comprising few parts, one which can be quickly opened and closed and otherwise manipulated, and one so constructed that letters and parcels placed therein will be protected from storm and burglary.

WVith these ends in View my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved letter-box with the lower part open. elevation with the upper portion in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a modification, and Fig. 5 is a detail.

A represents the'upper portion or body cf the box, and B is the mail-receptacle, supported, preferably, on suitable trnnnions and adapted to receive and hold the mail. The body portion comprises the sides a a and the rounded top a, which forms the usual roof to shed rain and otherwise protect the interior. These two partsn amely, the bodyA and the receptacle B-are cast separately and constitute substantially the entire box, thus making it of few parts, which can be cheaply made and easily and quickly assembled. The box as a whole is generally supported in the usual way from a lamp-post or other post by means of loops or staples 1 1, the ends of which extend into lugs on the side of the box, where they have nuts screwed on them or Where they are bent up and have a small bolt placed in their ends; or when used on a counter the support may be constructed, as shown in the modification and the box suspended on trunnions in it.

In addition to the general construction as Fig. 2 is a side described, a description of the details will fol low. In the upper portion or body a pair of curved plates 2 2 are arranged. These plates are provided with arms 3 3 and 4 4 at opposite ends, by means of which they are hinged or pivotally connected to the box. These arms are located at the upper edges of the plates, so that the latter, when in their nornally-elevated position, are located well up in the top of the box, so as to be out of the way when open and in order to occupy as little space as possible, and in order to normally assume this elevated position the plates may be provided with counter-balances 5 5. These overhang in such a manner as to hold the plates normally elevated and apart. It may be added, however, in this connection that these counter-balances may be dispensed with, if desired, and other means could be employed to accomplish the same result; but the main object of these guard-plates is to act asalock to close the receptacle while the drop-lid 7 is raised and the letters or parcels are being put in the box, so as to prevent the insertion of anything by which to extract the mail after it has once been deposited in the box. This closing of the plates is produced by means of arms 8 8, which project from thelid 7 through slots 9 9 into the box. The arms 4 a on the plates are provided with lugs 1O 10, the outer edges 11 ll of which incline across the slots when the plates are raised in position to be struck by the inner ends of arms 8 8 when the latter are depressed with the raising of the lid 7. Then thus lowered, these guardplates come together and form a false bottom or tray just beneath the opening, which closes the receptacle as long as thelid is raised and receives the letters or parcels dropped into the box. The moment the lid is dropped again the arms 8 S are removed from the lugs 10 l0 and the counter-balances raise and separate the guard-plates, and the letters or parcels deposited thereon drop between them into the receptacle.

The parts described are so arranged that they are out of the way and out of sight, and hence cannot be tampered with.

The receptacle B is supported on trunnions b b in the sides a a of the body A. As this receptacle is supported near the rear, when swung open the contents are easily accessible to the postman, as the receptacle may be opened its entire width. The receptacle may be locked by means of a hasp and padlock, as shown, or by other convenient means.

It is evident that slight'changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a letter-box, the combination, with a body, of a pair of guard-plates, said plates provided with counter-balances to throw them normally open, and a lid so constructed and connected with the guard-plates that the lat ter are operated when, the lid is raised, substantially as set forth,

2. The combination], with a body, of a pair of hinged guard-plates, counter-balances connected with the upp r edges of the plates, arms extending inwardly from the plates, by means of which the latter are hinged to the body, cams 011 these arms, and alid provided with means for operating in connection with the cams to move the plates, substantially as set forth,

8. The combination, with the body of a letter-box and a pair of guard-plates having arms thereon by which they are pivotally connected at points opposite each other with the body of the box, and inclines on said arms, of a lid having arms thereon arranged to project into the box and engage the inclines, whereby the guard-plates are operated byamovement of the lid, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, with the body of a letter-box, guard-plates having arms thereon by which they are pivotally connected with the body of the box, and inclines, of a drop-lid having arms thereon arranged to project into the box and engage the inclines, whereby the guard-plates are operated by a movement of the lid, and counter-balances for returning the guard-plates to their normal position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, NORMAN W. PALMER.

Vitnesses:

RICHARD TEN EYcK, A. J. CARROLL. 

